New board handling mining oversight

        FRANKFORT — Gov. Paul Patton abolished the Kentucky Mining Board on Friday, following reports it seldom cracked down on mine officials who broke health and safety laws.

        In its place, Mr. Patton created a new board detached from his mine-enforcement agency. Unlike the old board, which was headed by the commissioner of mines and minerals, the new board will have a director who reports to the secretary of public protection.

        The Mining Board had the authority to revoke or suspend licenses and certificates, which would have prevented mine owners and supervisors who broke laws from working.

        But an investigation by the Louisville Courier-Journal showed that the board seldom took such action, even when the law-breaking resulted in a federal court conviction. The newspaper found nearly 100 companies and mine officials who had federal convictions since 1990 but whose cases were not reviewed by the board.
       

Cane leads to arrest of man in killing

        WHITLEY CITY — A walking cane led police to arrest a Whitley City man in connection with the killing and robbery of another man.

        Lewis Earl Davenport, 39, was arrested Thursday by Kentucky State Police.

        Pat Perkins, 63, was killed in his Strunk apartment on Jan. 5. Beside his body was a cane that witnesses said belonged to Mr. Davenport, said State Police Sgt. David Biggerstaff. Police allege that Mr. Perkins ran a gambling operation from his apartment, and that robbery was the likely motive for the slaying.

        Mr. Davenport was taken to the McCreary County Jail. No bond has been set.
       

Schools may put classes together

        LOUISVILLE — High achievers and poor performers would be combined in class under a proposal for improving Jefferson County's struggling middle schools.

        Parents of advanced students probably will be against the idea, but it may be necessary to boost achievement in the middle grades, where test scores drop, said Lynn Rippy, coordinator of a task force that announced the proposal Thursday.

        “We are tracking kids in a way that is detrimental to young folks,” Rippy said. “We are not recommending that we abolish high-level courses. That is not the point. It is really more to blend kids in a way that more kids can be prepared and have access to those programs.”

        The proposal came from the Community Accountability Team — 75 parents, researchers, business people, community activists and school district employees charged with finding ways to boost student achievement in middle school.
       

Ex-governor gives away rights to farm

        MIDWAY — Former Gov. Brereton Jones and his wife, Libby, donated the development rights to part of their 2,500-acre horse farm to the Bluegrass Conservancy.

        The 236 acres donated contain most of the Airdrie Stud farm's stallion operations and run along the northwest corner of Airdrie to Old Frankfort Pike, said Brereton Jones, who was governor from 1991 to 1995.

        The family will retain ownership of the land. By entering into the conservation easement, they could qualify for tax breaks. The development restrictions will stay attached to the property even if it is sold.

        Mr. Jones said he hopes to eventually grant easements to all of the farm.
       

Enquirer wins newspaper honors

        LOUISVILLE — General Excellence winners were announced in the Kentucky Press Association's fall newspaper contest during an awards banquet Friday.

        Competing in Daily Class 3 (circulation 25,001 and above), The Kentucky Enquirer garnered the following awards: first place, general news story; second place, general news story; third place, spot news package; honorable mention, spot news story.
       

Woman on trial in nursing-home slayings

        LOUISVILLE — The trial of a woman charged with gunning down two nursing home executives began Friday as prosecutors tried to portray her as vengeful and defense attorneys argued that their client was legally insane.

        Kim Harris, 27, is charged with killing Deborah Bell, 46, and Patty Eitel, 43, as they left work in April 1997.

        “This case comes down to revenge,” prosecutor Craig Dilger told a Jefferson Circuit Court jury of eight men and six women.

        Ms. Harris was fired from Jefferson Place Nursing Home about a month before allegedly returning with a gun and shooting the women, authorities said.

        Defense attorney Patti Echsner argued that Ms. Harris was suffering from depression and a severe psychiatric disorder that left her legally insane at the time of the shooting.
       

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